Top-stick for grand pianos.



P. WEBER.

TOP STICK FOR GRAND PIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 4, 1910.

962,605, Patented June 28, 1910.

Fay. 1.

ANDREW s GRAHAM cs. PHQTO-UTNOGRAF'NERG, WASHINGTON. D c.

-. TTED %TATE% PATENT @FFKQE.

PETER WEBER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR- T0 SOI-IMER & COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TOP-STICK FOR GRAND PIANOS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 28, 1910.

Application filed April 4, 1910. Serial No. 553,298.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, PETER VVnBnR, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, borough of Queens, county of Queens, and State of New York, have in vented new and useful Improvements in Top-Sticks for Grand Pianos, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to novel means for supporting the top of a grand piano at different inclinations, so that the volume of sound emitted by the instrument may be readily regulated. These means comprise more essentially a sectional top stick which may either be used in its full length for sustaining the piano top in its highest elevation, or only part of the stick may be swung upward to support said top at a smaller inclination.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a front view of a grand piano embodying my invention; Fig. 2 a sectional front view of the top stick and cooperating parts, showing the arm raised; Fig. 3 is a plan of the stick, and Fig. 4 an enlarged section on line 4-4, Fig. 3.

The numeral 10 designates a grand piano case to which is hinged, as at 11, the conventional foldable top 12. Opposite hinge 11, there is fulcrumed to case 10, as at 13, a preferably tapering top stick or prop 14. Fulcrum 13 is arranged at such a height that when stick 14 is folded downward, it will rest upon the ribs 15 projecting upward from the frame or string plate 16 of the piano. The length of stick 14 is such that when folded upward, it will, by impinging against the lower face of top 12, sustain the latter in its fully raised position. The free end of prop 14 is adapted to be received within a corresponding socket 17 of top 12, (Fig. 2), to prevent the stick from slipping.

For sustaining top 12 at a smaller inclination to correspondingly damp the sound of the instrument, stick 14 is provided with a preferably tapering arm 18 which is normally received within a correspondinglyshaped longitudinal slot 19 of the stick, so as not to impair the appearance of the latter when raised into the position shown in Fig. 1. Arm 18 is pivoted to stick 14, as at 20, and its free end, as well as the cooperating perimeter 21 of opening 19, are so chamfered that arm 18 may be readily swung up, but is prevented from passing downward through slot 19. Arm 18 and end 21 of opening 19 are covered with felt or similar material 22.

If it is desired to fully open top 12, stick 14 is swung upward on its pivot 13, so that its free end engages socket 17 while arm 18 remains lodged within the opening 19 of the stick, (Fig. If top 12 is to be only partly raised, stick 14 is swung downward to rest upon ribs 15 of frame 16. Arm 18 is then swung upward on its pivot 20 at an angle to stick 14, so that its free end becomes seated within socket 17, (Fig. 2) and thus sustains the top at the desired small inclination, as will be readily understood.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described, comprising a prop having a longitudinal slot, means for pivoting the prop at one end to a piano, and an arm pivoted to the prop and adapted to be received within the slot and to be projected at an angle to the prop.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a prop having a chamfered slot, means for pivoting the prop at one end to a piano, and a chamfered arm pivoted to the prop and adapted to be received within the slot and to be projected at an angle to the prop.

PETER WVEBER. Witnesses:

ALoIs LAUX, J. C. AMIE. 

